1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus in which a recording part records image data based on image information transmitted through a transmission cable on a recording medium and an image reading apparatus which is connectable to the image recording apparatus. More particularly, it relates to an image recording apparatus in which a recording part of the recording apparatus provided with various functions such as a copy function, a printer function can record image data when the image recording apparatus receives the image information read by an image reading apparatus and transmitted through a transmission cable, and the image reading apparatus which can be connected to the image recording apparatus.
2. Description of Related Art
Heretofore, there have been proposed many image recording apparatus called a multi-function-device provided with various functions such as a reading function, a copy function, a facsimile function, a printer function, or the like so that respective functions are carried out in one machine.
One of the image recording apparatus is arranged so that a hand-held type reading device constituted separately from the apparatus can be connected thereto through a cable. The reading device is generally called hand-scanner, one example of which is shown in FIG. 5. This hand-scanner M0 easily reads image on bound documents including magazines, notebooks, books or the like, and transmits the image information through a hand-scanner cable M3 to the image recording apparatus. This apparatus when receives the image information can print out the image data based on the image information on a recording paper or transmit the same by facsimile.
However, the reading device M0 shown in FIG. 5 should be operated in the following manner. A switch M2 for setting a mode, provided on a control panel M1 of the reading device M0, is slid to a predetermined position for a reading mode M2a, and then a start/stop button M4 provided on the side of the switch M2 is pressed. The reading device M0 in such the state is allowed to scan the original document to read the image information thereon. Subsequently, the reading device M0 is connected to the image recording apparatus through the cable M3. The switch M2 is then slid to a position for an output mode M2b from the reading mode position M2a and the start/stop button M4 is depressed to print out the image data on recording paper. In this way, the conventional reading device M0 requires the above troublesome operations.
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances and has an object to overcome the above problems and to provide an image recording apparatus capable of simplifying the operational processes to allow a recording part of the apparatus that receives the image information through a transmission cable to record the image data based on the image information on a recording medium and an image reading apparatus connectable to the image recording apparatus.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
To achieve the purpose of the invention, there is provided an image recording apparatus including a main body, a connecting part, disposed on the main body, for connecting the image recording apparatus to an external image reading apparatus which is capable of reading image information on a first original, the read image information being transmitted to the image recording apparatus from the external image reading apparatus, an operating section operative in response to manual operation, and a recording section for recording, onto a recording medium, image data based upon the read image information transmitted from the external image reading apparatus in response to the manual operation.
The above image recording apparatus, in response to the manual operation of the operating section, receives the image information from image reading apparatus and records the image data based on the image information onto the recording medium. Accordingly, the image recording apparatus of the present invention can simplify the operational processes without needing the troublesome operation needed in the conventional reading device. If only the image recording apparatus alone is operated, the image information stored in the image reading apparatus can be recorded on the recording medium. This can improve the operability of the image recording apparatus.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image reading apparatus including a reading part for reading image information on an original, and a connecting part for connecting the image reading apparatus to an external image recording apparatus, the external image recording apparatus being capable of recording image data based on the image information read by the reading part of the image reading apparatus on a recording medium and the external image recording apparatus including an operating section operative to manual operation, and a control device for transmitting the image information read by the reading part to the external image recording apparatus in response to the manual operation of the operating section of the image recording apparatus.
In the above image reading apparatus, upon the manual operation of the operating section of the external image recording apparatus, the control device of the image reading apparatus can transmit the read image information to the image recording apparatus. Accordingly, the troublesome operation needed for the conventional reading apparatus M0 shown in FIG. 5 is unnecessary. This can make it easy to operate the image reading apparatus.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image input and output apparatus including an image reading apparatus for reading image information on a first original, an image recording apparatus having an operating section operative in response to manual operation and a recording section for recording the image information on a recording medium, a transmission cable for connecting the image reading apparatus with the image recording apparatus, and a control device for causing the recording section of the image recording apparatus to record the image data based on the image information transmitted from the image reading apparatus through the transmission cable in response to the manual operation of the operating section of the image recording apparatus.
In the above image input and output apparatus, in response to the manual operation of the operating section of the image recording apparatus, the recording section of the image recording apparatus records the image information transmitted from the image reading apparatus through the transmission cable connecting the image recording apparatus with the image reading apparatus, on the recording medium. Accordingly, the image input and output apparatus of the present invention can simplify its operation without needing the troublesome operation needed in the conventional reading apparatus M0 shown in FIG. 5. Furthermore, if only the image recording apparatus alone is operated, the image information stored in the image reading apparatus can be recorded on a recording medium, thus improving the operability.